Understanding the Fight/Flight Response (FFR) in depth is essential for anyone wishing to come to terms with fear and anxiety in their lives. Even people who train in the martial arts are usually woefully ignorant of this omnipotent powerful reaction given to us by natures evolutionary process. It's action is difficult to comprehend in the warm blooded security of our lives. By that I mean we can imagine all kinds of things when we are training in martial arts or sitting in our living room chair about how we would perform in a conflict situation or how we could just remove fear from our lives. But the truth is that when the fight flight response really kicks in at a high level it obliterates all ideas and fantasies that we may have had about how well we would respond. Anyone who suffers from deep anxiety or depression will attest to this as well anyone who is consistently been in front of violent situations. So let us explore some of the main reactions.

1. There is a massive migration of blood which creates direct physical sensations. These sensations  are how we often recognise that we are afraid. For instance, blood is pulled out of the intestines and pumped downwards into the legs, this in turn makes us feel nauseous and will make your legs shake.

2. Coagulants are sent into the bloodstream in case we are cut so as to stem the blood.

3.The pupils dilate in order to take it more light but this will change our visual perception.

4.Blood is moved out of the frontal part of the brain and move to the stem this often causes disorientation

The fight flight response is designed for sudden bursts of action and it is very good, and in fact healthy for the body, to do this from time to time. What is undesirable, but unfortunately very common, is when the fight flight response is initiated at a low level over a long period of time. This is what occurs with stress and anxiety, for instance, in the workplace. Constant firing of the FFR tires out the nerves, heart, immune system leading to a whole host of health problems.The good news is if we study the FFR in-depth and apply some training we can learn to use this incredible power given to us by nature To take us places we would never be able to go without it.